Information Assurance Concentration

The Information Assurance (IA) concentration is designed to equip students at the University at Buffalo (UB) with a comprehensive understanding of the many facets of Information Assurance and Security. The program provides coursework giving a broad overview of the interdisciplinary aspects of information assurance as well as specialized training with respect to a chosen discipline.

Within the MBA program, students must complete 15 credits of coursework - three credits of which are common to IA students, six credits of which are defined by the track, and six credits of possibly interdisciplinary electives. This program structure ensures that students taking this concentration possess the necessary foundation in Information Assurance and allows them a certain degree of freedom to tailor the curriculum to their interests.

At present, there are four disciplines participating in the program in terms of the applicable courses they offer: Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), The School of Management, Mathematics (MTH) and School of Law (LAW). The university issued IA certificate will provide recognition of this training earned by students in Information Assurance. These graduates will then enter the federal work force and industries with an expertise in IA, better prepared to meet the needs of our increasingly technological society. For insight on the need for information assurance experts see the recent article on The Code War in Bloomberg Businessweek.

FIRST YEAR

Fall Semester

MBA Core - 15 credits

Spring Semester

MBA Core - 10 credits

Electives - 3 - 6 credits

SECOND YEAR

Fall Semester

MGS 650 Information Assurance - 3 credits

Electives and/or Internship - 9 credits

Concentration Elective from list below* - 3 credits

Spring Semester

MGO 642 Integration of Business Functions - 1 credit

MGO 644 Business Practice - 1 credit

MGS 659 Seminar in Electronic Commerce - 3 credits

MGS 651 Management of Computer Networks - 3 credits

Elective from list below* - 3 credits

Electives - 3 - 6 credits

*Select two of the following as electives:

CSE 510 Intelligent Agents in E-Commerce

CSE 512 Operating Systems Internals

CSE 527 Modern Computer Systems

CSE 530 Computer Communications

CSE 516 E-Commerce Technology

CSE 605 Advanced Concepts in Programming Language

CSE 616 Multi-agent Systems

LAW 858 Technology and Intellectual Property Colloquium

LAW 933 Intellectual Property and the Internet: Cyber Piracy

MTH 529/530 Introduction to the Theory of Numbers I/II

MTH 567 Stream Ciphers

MGS 610 Digital Forensics

MGS 613 Database Management Systems

MGS 614 Systems Analysis and Design

MGT 681 Intellectual Property

MGA 643 Fraud Prevention and Detection

Information Assurance Demand Today

With the rapid growth of the Internet and, in turn, the creation of numerous new information channels, the task of securing these channels and their underlying systems has become an industry-wide top priority. However, the lack of professionals with the skill set to tackle such complex security issues is clearly evident.

Several universities in the country have established research and education centers in IA to address vulnerabilities in the national information infrastructure. The University at Buffalo aims to fill this void by offering this concentration.